• 1963 Ray Stewart (a recovered alcoholic) came from the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago to establish a similar mission in Rockford.
• 1964 Ray rented a building at 116 Kishwaukee Street for $100 a month and opened the doors of the Rockford Rescue Mission in May.  The sign on the front door read, “All are welcome here. The alcoholic, the addict, the stranger, the sojourner, the pilgrim, the poor. There is hope for all who enter here.”
• 1965 At Ray’s recommendation, the Board appointed Ray’s pastor, Rev. G.O. Pitney with his wife, Nadine, as new director. The first newsletter was released, later called The Rescuer.
• 1967 All debts were paid off. Rev. Pitney appeals in The Rescuer, “Won’t you help us build a modern city rescue mission which any Christian would be proud of and upon which the world would look with greater respect?”
• 1969 Forty to fifty churches were supporting the Mission and The Rescuer circulation reached 2000.

• 1971 The Mission bought the 21,000 square foot Germania Club at 121 South Madison for $30,000. The building, built in 1892 with a ballroom, bar, and Rockford’s first automated bowling alley, was converted into a place of refuge, redemption, and recovery. The new Mission motto was: “Help all the people we can, in all the ways we can, as long as ever we can.”
• 1974 The Mission partnered with Christian Love Acres, a 60-acre farm near South Beloit, to provide work rehabilitation for the men through doing chores, caring for animals, buying and selling hay and painting tractors.
• 1975 Women and children were included in outreach services; a literacy program began, and free clothing was distributed to the needy through Family Day program.
• 1979 The abandoned Poole Hotel at 730 West State and the house behind it on Elm Street were purchased from Salvation Army for $10,000 to care for  women and families. “Ye Rescue Shoppe” opened in a rented building at 309 Seventh Street to sell donated goods to support the Mission.
• Mission founder, Ray Stewart died in an auto accident. In tribute, G.O. Pitney wrote, “If it had not been for Ray Stewart, there would not be a Rockford Rescue Mission.”

• 1980 A house at 723 Elm Street was purchased for $32,000 for staff housing and “Kiddie Kare” children’s ministry.
• 1982 Perry Pitney (oldest son of G.O. and Nadine Pitney) and his wife, Sherry, were hired to lead the programs (Perry was named Associate Director in 1984 and Director in 1987).
• 1984 “The Pitney Family Gospel Singers” began touring to give concerts in order to raise awareness and funds for the Mission.
• 1985 The Christian Care Center, with eighteen rooms for women and children’s recovery, was dedicated after six years of renovations.
• 1987 “The Pitneys” were named “Contemporary Gospel Bluegrass Group of the Year” by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America.
• 1988 “The Helping Hand” at 125 Madison Street opened to distribute free food and clothing to those in need.

• 1992 An area auto dealer donated a 46,000 square foot building at 1201 Broadway, which was later sold for $119,000 to be designated as a building fund.
• 1994 The Mission purchased and developed 42 acres in Southwest Rockford for a children’s day camp and recreational/agricultural programs known as Mission Acres.
• 1995 The Rockford Register Star presented the Mission with its “Excelsior Award” for outstanding contribution to the community.

The Launch of Hope Place

• 1996 The Mission purchased 5.5 acres of property at 600 and 700 West State Street for $150,000 from Bill Hembrough Buick, which included a gift in kind of $392,000. “Ye Rescue Shoppe” sold and Mission opened a new thrift store, “Keepers Unlimited” at 1405 Kishwaukee Street.
• 1998 “The Pitneys” won the Rockford Area Music Industry (RAMI) Award for Best Christian music group and Nadine Pitney received the YWCA Marcella Harris Award for Community Service.
• 1999 The Mission relocated to Hope Place. This new facility was made possible by a $4.5M capital campaign. The Women’s Crisis Center, Hope Clinic and a second thrift store were opened. The staff increased to 102 employees. The Pitneys retired.

• 2000 Perry Pitney resigned, and Dr. Pat Clinton was interim director.
•  Innovative Education Center opened, and community outreach support groups were launched.
• 2001 Keepers Unlimited opened a third thrift store at Southgate Shopping Center.
• Sherry Pitney was appointed Executive Director.
• 2002 The Mission was licensed by the Illinois Department of Human Services as a State Certified Recovery Home, and Hope Dental clinic opened.
• 2004 “Rescuing the Raggedy Man: The History of Rockford Rescue Mission” by Perry Pitney and Jim Killam was published.
• The Mission celebrated its 40th anniversary.
• 2005 Former Executive Director Perry Pitney was killed in an auto accident.
• 2009 The building at 625 West State Street was renovated to house Restoration Café, a vocational training center and café open to the public.
• The Mission’s “Mother of Rescue,” Nadine Pitney, died after a long battle with cancer.
• The Mission celebrated 10 years at Hope Place and 45 years of ministry.
• The Mission received the Spirit of Caring Award from Crusader Community Health.

• 2010 G.O. Pitney died at the age of 80 after battling Parkinson’s Disease for 26 years. The block of Horsman Street between State Street and Mulberry Street was designated “Pitney Place” in honor of G.O. and Nadine Pitney.
• 2011 The Mission expanded its State Street campus with the purchase of the building at 212 N. Rockton  to accommodate needs of the facilities department.
• 2012 The Mission purchased the former 56,000 square foot Bob’s Hardware to expand the Thrift Store operation. The Mission received a $750,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank in Chicago to fund renovations at Hope Place.
• 2014 The Mission celebrates 50th anniversary with “What’s your story?” theme.
• 2015 The Mission receives “Partners in Success Guardian Award” from Carpenter’s Place.
• 2016 A $7 million building expansion called Pitney Place is completed. The women and children move in May 10, 2016.
• 2016 Jay and Christine Akely playground is dedicated.
• The former Pregnancy Care Center at 611 West State is purchased for expansion.
• 2017 Drive thru to Restoration Café is opened.
• The Mission opens expanded education and career program called Works! Center.
• Remade shop opens at 611 W. State Street.
• The former Jay Tronics building located at 124 N. Rockton is purchased for future expansion.